The invention relates to a switch for optically coupling, by means of a V-groove, an optical fiber to one of at least two other optical fibers. Switching is achieved by displacement of the former fiber with respect to the two other fibres, each of the other fibers being arranged in a separate V-groove.
A switch of this kind is described in an article by Hisao Yamamoto and Harno Ogiwara, published in Applied Optics, entitled "Moving Optical. Fiber Switch Experiment". Vol. 17, No. 22, Nov. 15, 1978, pp. 3675 to 3678. The switch described therein comprises a carrier in which radially directed grooves are provided in one plane. On one side, one fiber is permanently secured in each groove, while on the other side one fiber is to be arranged which is to be coupled to the permanently secured fibers. In a switch of this kind, switching (i.e. the breaking of a coupling between a first and a second fiber and the subsequent coupling of the first fiber to another fiber) is realized by lifting the first fiber out of the groove, laterally displacing the fiber, and arranging the fiber in another groove. It will be clear that the described manipulations have to be performed with a high degree of precision, which is a drawback.
Furthermore, the distance between the ends of the fibers coupled in the described manner may not be larger than a few tens of micrometers (30 .mu.m), and the end faces of the coupled fibers may not contact each other. This requirement again necessitates very precise manipulation of the fibers to be shifted. It will be clear that a switch of the described kind should comprise a switching mechanism which is made of precision components, so that it is expensive.